Notre Dame Cruises Past Fairfield in NCAA Tournament Opener

Irish advance to Round of 32 with dominant defensive performance

Mar. 22, 2026 at 1:55am

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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team cruised to a 79-60 victory over the Fairfield Stags in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Led by junior guard Hannah Hidalgo's near-quadruple-double performance, Notre Dame forced 19 turnovers and out-rebounded Fairfield 43-31 to pull away in the second half.

Why it matters

Notre Dame is one of the top women's basketball programs in the country, making the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year. This win sets up a second-round matchup with third-seeded Ohio State, a potential Sweet 16 preview as the Irish look to make a deep tournament run.

The details

Despite a competitive first half, Notre Dame's physicality and pressure defense proved too much for Fairfield. Hidalgo finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 8 steals, and 6 assists, narrowly missing a historic quadruple-double. The Irish shot just 38% from the field but forced 19 Fairfield turnovers to pull away in the second half.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
  • Notre Dame's next game is on Monday against Ohio State.

The players

Hannah Hidalgo

A junior guard for Notre Dame, Hidalgo is one of the best players in the country, leading the nation in steals per game.

Niele Ivey

The head coach of the Notre Dame women's basketball team, guiding the program to its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Ohio State

The third-seeded team that Notre Dame will face in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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What’s next

The winner of the Notre Dame-Ohio State second-round matchup will advance to the Sweet 16.

The takeaway

Notre Dame's dominant defensive performance and Hidalgo's near-historic stat line show the Irish are a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA Tournament, but they'll need to shore up their shooting and get off to a faster start if they want to upset Ohio State and make a deep run.